Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Final reflection

This last week we held our final project festival at Hoa Binh, and it was amazing and so successful!! Beforehand we were worried about if we had enough supplies, volunteers, electricity, tables, and many other things but by 9 everything had fallen into place. We were able to recruit many of the other volunteers who work at Thanh Xuan to help out and participate for a majority of the festival and many UCHANU-ers turned out and were a great help! We couldn't have done it without their presence. And many of the doctors, helpers, and teachers also came out to hang out with the kids.
Our kids themselves were having a fantastic time! We must have had about 45 people outside at the max and everyone was eating, playing sports and games, drawing, and running around screaming. One students even said that he couldn't remember when he had such a good time, and was walking around talking to people and singing. If felt so wonderful to have everyone out of the building and playing around with each other. Even the people who entertained themselves by popping all the balloons or throwing the beanbags at the targets with all their strength were smiling and screaming and chasing around, all for fun of course.
I was really pleased about the success of the mask and wing-making, but we ended using up all the pre-made pieces and some kids wore them the whole festival and even afterward during lunch. I think Phuong was another saving grace when she brought with her a DVD of exercises & musical accompaniment, which attracted a large group in front of the entertainment table the entire festival. It was a well-known video and/or songs so it was really popular. Games and sports, unsurprisingly, was very successful. The beanbag toss was the most successful but there were still many people doing the blowing game and a few were even playing around with the tangrams. It was also really cute haw many of the kids didn't even need the prizes at the end, and a few even played around with some of their goodies until the end when they tried to give them back. The sports area looked reminiscent of most of our after-school days with kids kicking the balls around but this time with some badminton rackets and jump ropes. Peter also got some chalk and drew hopscotch and a jump line which were being used the whole time. I only wish we had brought chalk earlier on in the year. And even though we raised everyone's blood sugar at least 20 points with all the snacks and soda, no incidents happened. These kids are the best at sharing and not fighting with each other over snacks and prizes, more so than any I've met before, and there were 0 accidents. A totally successful event.
I think it was rather impressive how organized we looked. We did not need to ask for much, just a place to plug in our electrical cord and then a broom afterward. We set up on-time and were able to clean-up in about 15 minuets, thanks to our volunteers. Nothing got out-of-hand or out-of-control. But the best part really was seeing how happy everyone was all at the same time. Many of the family members who stay at the village came out and they looked thoroughly happy as well at beautiful chaos that was happening outside. I'm really, very much going to miss this place and it was nice to have a little celebration while we were there.

Emotional and Physical Integration

How can I integrate my lessons of the semester into my life back in America? I am not positive how I my daily life will change because of my time here, as I haven’t had the shock of returning home and realizing I’m not in Vietnam anymore, but I know there will be change and it will be positive. Because of things we learned and saw in class I am more aware of will be more conscious of the origins of things I use almost constantly, namely food and clothing. I hope to never take a grain of rice or a single vegetable for granted or waste again, now knowing how hard it is to cultivate the things we eat (including animals) and how little return it gives the grower on average. I will also more frequently be aware of at least the place that my clothing and goods come from. The work that we observed during our trip to the textile factory was very interesting as we got to see how clothes are assembled from start to finish, including thread-making and assembly. This helped give me a perspective, again, on how difficult it is to make the clothes that we purchase with such ease; and though I am not sure of exact numbers, we also saw how much work went into making a $40 shirt and could infer what percentage actually went to the creators of the garment.
I will also be able to take a new perspective on life back home with me to America. Though there are many aspects of life which are similar between these two countries, the ways in which they are different are extremely important and gave me a different view on the world, which I think everyone should try and experience at least once. Though it was difficult to step outside the amazing bubble that is EAP and UCHANU, it was really amazing to see how people lived their lives in Vietnam. Project Kiem An really enabled me to see different areas of peoples lives, as well as different aspects of Vietnamese life through work. Family plays such an important role in life to many Vietnamese. At home everyone is concerned with their families as well, but not to the same degree as here where the family will be referenced at least once during most conversations.
Life has also been greatly affected by the opening of the market economy during đổi mới which has caused much good and bad. This is an aspect less thought about at home since the market economy has been so integrated and included in American culture for so long, that it is hard to think of things otherwise. But here, it was only about 25 years ago that things were drastically different. After 1986 anyone could open a little or big business in order to make money, but now the moves to make things more “modern” has been slowly excluding many, many people like mobile vendors, small business owners, the poor, and the outcasts. It is interesting how the businesses that most people rely on or at least use - tra da stands, other mobile food sellers, outside markets, and the carts full of slippers or daily household wares – are the first to be shunned by the government. These businesses are one of my favorite parts of Vietnam, one does not need to drive all the way to a giant Co-Op Mart or Big C to get overwhelmed by the people and the onslaught of goods in order to satisfy daily needs, one simply must step outside of the house and stroll around the neighborhood until what they need passes by.
Another interesting occurrence here is the multiple and almost identical shops all lined up nest to each other. My favorite memory of this kind of business strategy was one night at the end of the night market there were more than 12 bicycles lined up next to each other, all selling bò bía ngọt, the delicious and sweet coconut rolls. There was no difference in their attempts to attract customers and all their boxes for making the rolls were all the same, yet they all managed and I guess even enjoyed selling all side-by-side. I am assuming this strategy works because of the mentality of the purchasers, because this is a normal occurrence in business practices people seem to know to spread out their business, or everyone has their own favorite that they return to, with many different people all preferring a different seller. I know also that all these sellers work together and sometimes provide each other with extra goods if another seller runs out, or will provide change to their neighboring seller. This kind of thing would never happen in America except for small locally-owned businesses who have a very personal relationship with each other, which is similar to what is happening here, but in Vietnam this seems to occur much, much more often than it does in the States.

How will I remain in contact with the wonderful people who male up UCHANU 2010? My best guess is facebook, skype, and other forms of internet communication, at least for the time being. I haven’t even left yet and know that I will want desperately to return to Vietnam and Hanoi as soon as I leave. I am not sure how plausible it is for me to come back within the next 5 years as I would need to find a good-paying job, in order to afford the plane ticket over and the missing days of work during my visit, but I am not ruling the idea out. I also hope that some of our HANU buddies will be able to find their way over to America, if for a short visit or more permanently so that we can show them our perspective of our country, like we got to see theirs. But returning to Vietnam is definitely something that will happen in my life. I want to bring my friends and family here to see how I have seen life in Vietnam, so hopefully I will be able to return before things become unrecognizable to me, though that would just create a whole new adventure and way-of-life for me to figure out.
And as for my fellow American students, we had better keep in touch as our distances from each other are not too large and many of us have the means to travel around the state to visit one another. Many of us are graduating soon and we will lose the bonds of the UC system which keep us linked, but we have hopefully created a strong enough bond to over-come time and distance to see each other, reminisce about our time in this amazing country, and hopefully return together someday.

Team Cucumber – A group dynamic

Team Cucumber consists of five awesome members, Tran Tu Thanh, Chau Son, Nguyen Van, Nguyen Hailey Lan, and myself.  We are named Team Cucumber because of Son’s mystical abilitiy to continuously pick the same cucumber from the prize box during our first EAP party, then it was fate that brought him and then the rest of our newly-formed Project Kiem An group to the power of the du leo. 

From the very beginning our group got along well. There were never any large disagreements and everyone had something to do.  Van had most of the connections that made our interviews possible, from the banker to the recycler to the flower seller.  Hailey Lan also provided us with some of her friends like the MC to interview and was present at every single interview asking questions and keeping track of answers.  Both Van and Lan were also able to provide us with all of the Vietnamese versions of the interviews.  Lena was also able to get us in contact with one of her Vietnamese friends to interview and was very helpful with editing and writing the Vietnamese-to-English translations.  Son was similar in providing links in the Hanoian community and was an excellent writer and editor.

I myself, had no connections to provide us with interviews, but I did try to attend all of the interviews and though I did not make it to one.  At the interviews I was not too helpful at asking questions, because of the language barrier, and mostly came along for moral support and comradery.  Mostly I wrote out the English versions from their translated transcripts and wrote introductions.

Usually when working in groups I like to take more of a leadership role because I like things to go exactly as I have envisioned them, and in a lot of my experience others do not mind someone else taking over who is not them.  However in this situation I was very willing and able to take a less prominent role, seeing as I was just starting to learn about Vietnam and Vietnamese.  We had a very equal group dynamic so I was still able to have input and suggest questions to be asked to our interviewees as were my teammates.  Sometimes I would wonder how helpful I was at Project Kiem An because during a majority of the interviews I just sat, listening and not comprehending anything that was going on.  However I could contribute in the English sections and it was sooo interesting to be able to hear some of out interviewee’s stories straight from them.  

This project enabled me to meet many people I never would have and learn about occupations that I did not even know existed.  I only wish that we could have met up more though and have more group bonding, though the lack is understandable due to everyone’s busy schedules. I love my group!

Van, me, Hailey, Lena, & Son aka Team Cucumber!!!

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Interest

Occasionally, on less pleasant days at Thanh Xuanh Peace Village, I wonder why I am still going there day after day, and if my presence is actually beneficial to these kids in any way. Usually this occurs because of frustration at the language barrier and a intense desire to be able to joke, tease, and banter with our kids. But then, this is also the answer to why I come everyday. Each time we step into the village I get closer and closer to our little (and not so) friends regardless of my inability to properly talk and understand. Their continued interest in me is so amazing and we are getting to know each other through interaction and simple sentences. I try to please them with songs, dances, and acting a fool in front of the class which I think they greatly appreciate. I'll sit there and help them trace a, ư, and ô over and over. I think they also enjoy being able to tease me and know that I won't necessarily understand and definitely will not be able to retort. They can tell I'm trying to engage with them and desperately want them to like me too.
I really hope our final project festival event lives up to my group's hopes and visions. Thay Gerard is worried that our plan might not necessarily be that entertaining to the kids and that they might not have as much fun as we think. I think all of his fears are completely unwarranted. Anything out of the ordinary captures these kids interests, as does anyone willing to talk or help or entertain them. I think if they see the effort we put in as well as the candy and time to spend outside just running around like crazy then they'll have a great time. If there's one thing I know about kids it is that they will make their own fun if need be. Also, all the new faces will definitely pique their interests. I'm very excited for the event. I only hope that we are able to properly prepare our booths and get enough helpers to be able to do this right.

Preparation for Nghệ An – 1 Heartland Vietnam

This upcoming weekend UCHANU is working as the volunteer group 1 Heartland Vietnam and is taking a whole class weekend-long field trip and volunteer excursion to the province of Nghệ An.  The purpose of this visit is to provide all the children in the Nghệ An school with warm winter jackets.  We have been fundraising this past week in order to raise ~$2000 for the cause, using multiple methods in order to gain revenue.  The most popular and successful methods are the 1 Heartland Café which is situated in front of S Home, as well as donations that have been requested from organizations and family members in other areas of Vietnam and the US.  Other methods of fundraising are the UCHANU High-Roller Game night and a 3-day long fundraiser where 10% of revenue at the Diém Vọng Café is donated to 1 Heartland Vietnam. 

I actually do not know much about the province of Nghệ An except for a few key facts, which make our purpose obvious.  Nghệ An is located in the North of Vietnam in a mountainous area that gets very cold during the winter.  The school is not heated so during the winter it can get to such temperatures that parents do not want to send their kids to school because of the intense temperature.  We are providing new, warm jackets for these kids so that nothing, not even the coldest Nghệ An days, can prevent these children from getting the education they deserve. 

I helped organize the Diém Vọng Café fundraiser, and though the idea was very nice, trying to bring more of the community to our cause and build relationships with nearby establishments, it is not quite as successful as I imagined.  What Lan and I forgot while being inspired by the idea and past experiences with this method in America, is that the cost of food and drinks in a school (university and secondary school) area, as well as in Vietnam in comparison to America, is reasonably less.  Therefore our return from this fundraiser will probably not be very much money at all, hopefully enough for a couple jackets priced at 150,000VND.  We did help spread the word and, hopefully, bring more customers into the café but it is not as successful as the 1Heartland Café, which has so far earned quite a few million VND. 

The UCHANU High-Roller game night was SO successful and a ridiculous amount of fun!!  A much better turn-out than I had originally expected a full of friends from around HANU and Hanoi.  It was basically thrown together in a day, but everything worked!  We got lights, tables, drinks, music, guests, and a lot of funds for the kids in basically a few hours.  Buy in was 20,000 and many people donated so much more.  It was really a beautiful night with dancing and laughing and just hella fun.  I think what this project has definitely done, besides brings warm jackets to Nghệ An kids, is to bring UCHANU closer together.  We UC kids got to go on 2 very long trips which our HANU friends could not attend and some of us grew a little apart from our friends and buddies.  It feels good to work together again, let’s get these kids some jackets!

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Society

Working at Thanh Xuan has really made me think about how society outside the walls of Thanh Xuan perceive the inhabitants within.  Before I first came to Hoa Binh I was afraid I would be dealing with people who were severely disabled both mentally and physically, unable to communicate with all people not just those who cannot speak the same language (like myself).  I don't know where those thoughts came from, but my guess is that I formulated these ideas through the way, at least American, society thinks about the disabled, the autistic, and people affected by Agent Orange.  People in general are afraid of the disabled, mostly because we think communication would be difficult so there would be no way to convey the necessary feelings and awareness that is "required" by interaction in a given society.  So far my experience there has completely blown away all those previous assumptions and worries.  A vast majority of the children and adults in Hoa Binh are perfectly able to communicate, just not in the way that is classified by society as "normal."  For example, there is a boy at Hoa Binh who doesn't like to stay in his seat, doesn't exactly speak sensical Vietnamese all the time, and has difficulty concentrating, but when you rub his head and really sit with him and and work then he gets really pleasant and interested in doing his work. 
I have also inquired how Vietnamese society feels about disabled people and the general response I've gotten is that if they cannot learn very fast or very well, then they should be taught a skill that would be able to benefit the family like handicrafts.  The same communication fears are present which do also limit the expanse of possible activities for disabled people.  Though there are laws here and in America to prevent discrimination in the workplace, they are shakily enforced in both countries.

Mien Nam

So I must admit: the South was as ridiculously spectacular as everyone kept telling me it would be. The food was amazing, the people were amazing, and the places were amazing. If only we could have spent more time there. I'm thinking maybe a month in Central Vietnam and a month in the South.

The streets of Saigon

I did feel quite silly however visiting Ho Chi Minh City and the Cu Chi Tunnels exactly the way our readings the previous week described as designed to tell a particular narrative. I enjoyed myself regardless, but it was weird hearing our tour guides and seeing the tour routes that I knew were designed to peak the interests of specifically Western foreign tourists. I'm not sure how the village homestay would fit into that category so that could have been one of our more "authentic" experiences. The Apocalypse Now bar in Saigon that was mentioned in the readings also, was not exactly how the readings described it anymore, and though the music was very good I was still uncomfortable with how many foreigners were interacting with some of the Vietnamese women there. The rest of my Saigon experience was amazing. We explored many parts of the city, but could not get to much of it. I want to go back after the program is over and see more before I leave this wonderful country.

Anh Kuoi (aka greatest tour guide ever) taking us along the Mekong River

My favorite parts of the trip were our experiences along the Mekong Delta and in the Mekong River. Fishing in the traditional style, with us helping by throwing logs out of a net, floating to the fish markets and along the river, discovering trees that go on for hundreds of meters, and exploring bird sanctuaries on boats through water covered in algae. I had heard many things about the beautifully fertile Mekong River and it was amazing to be able to see and dip myself into it. It was really tragic to hear about the rising water level and have Anh Kuoi describe how in 20 years a third of the land will be underwater. How that will affect the dynamics of people living there I do not now know.  I also loved the Cao Dai temple we visited which was a uniquely Vietnamese experience. Sooo interesting that it encompassed Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, and so many other religions into one.  It was beautiful to see so many religions which  clash so often brought together to be combined into something so moving.  It was equally as interesting to see the diaspora of Cham Muslims tucked-away on the Mekong River.  A cultural island in the midst of a larger typically Vietnamese community.
We finished our trip with a visit to Phu Quoc, a tropical island which lies close to both Vietnam and Cambodia. This was paradise. We traveled up and down the island sampling the famous pepper and eating dishes with their famous nuoc mum. The beaches were beautiful and clean with crystal clear waters. A wonderful way to end a wonderful trip. I love the South and the Mekong Delta.

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Thoughts and Feelings

Our wall! "Toi yew hoa binh."

I love these children. I love heading to our classroom, the kids noticing us from down the hallway, and watching them get more and more excited as we get closer to the classroom. I love giving high fives to every student and having them try over and over to say something to me. Then I love when I finally understand and can reply and they look so happy that I can finally answer their questions and respond correctly to their comments.  I love our wall. I love that we get invited to our kids birthday parties and that we are able to celebrate with them outside of our normal hours. I love my group and our group dynamic. I think we work very well together and all have an equal voice in decision-making, group discussions, and at the organization.
I feel we are beginning to get more respect at Thanh Xuan from the organization itself. Because we have been coming regularly and showing dedication the organization is opening itself to us and beginning to utilize our skills.  Mai has been doing translations for Co Phoung and other people who need things translated into Vietnamese. And today Irene and Peter were asked to help clean the building, when only a few months ago they tried to help with dishes and were just pushed aside. The teachers of Mai's and my classroom more frequently ask us to come up and dance and sing and read to the class.  These are examples of increased trust and confidence in our intentions at Thanh Xuan.  Though they might have jokingly complained about our painting only a wall and not a whole room (some more than others) you can tell that they have grown accustomed to our presence and less suspicious of our intentions.  The accusations that we are foreigners and Southern Vietnamese working at the Hoa Binh to make up for the atrocities of the war have since stopped.
I have changed from sitting in the classroom for 4 hours unaware of what's happening, to an active member of these kid's, and some grown up's, lives. This is one of my most rewarding and unique and wonderful experiences I have had in Vietnam and in life as well.

The Factory Life

This past weekend UCHANU found itself in a place where none had been before and everyone has many connections to: the factory. We visited two factories, first a textile and clothing factory called HANOSIMEX, and second a factory producing the ever-popular motorbikes of the Yamaha company. Both were very, very interesting to see not only because of their immense size, but it also gave perspective about how little we know about how the things we have are made or about the people who make them.

Machines making spools of thread.

First off, the textile factory was unbelievably enormous stretching faar into the distance past hundreds of machines each rolling up hundreds of spools of thread, or gathering hundreds of pounds of cotton into large bundles. There was a good number of technicians working at the time of our visit, with a seemingly equal number of men and women in the thread-making factory. All seemed to be between the ages of 18-30 and were constantly moving and working.

The sewing factory where workers are constructing a blue men's Express shirt.

The sewing factory was very different with basically all female workers, with a few males scattered around. The workplace itself seemed very nice compared to the conditions of many sewing factories I have heard of: there were large fans for ventilation, open windows, not too terribly cramped workstations, many lights, and music instead of shouting. Everyone here seemed young as well with some girls who appeared younger than those in the thread-making factory. Many of the articles being constructed seemed destined for the United States, to stores such as Target and Express.

 Our second destination was the Yamaha factory where a little more than a thousand (according to their counters) Yamaha motorbikes are constructed everyday for domestic use. Here we were not allowed to take pictures, presumably to keep the Yamaha secrets from being spread to other companies... But the factory here was also ridiculously large, and most of the workers were men with a number of women to handle small parts and detail work. The company representative said that the average age of workers in the factory was from 20-25, which looked about right when observing the floor. It was miraculous to walk along the assembly line and just watch the stages of motorbike assembly, with the parts looking more and more like a Sirius or Mio Classico with every step. The factory was very clean and organized. The workers themselves had standard uniforms and everyone (as well as us visitors) was required to wear a hat on the work floor. The temperature throughout the factory was cool and it looked like very repetitive and organized work that everyone was doing. We were told that if anyone needed to nha ve sinh (use the restroom) then they needed to alert their supervisor so the production line would not stop. The representative told us that they have never needed to completely stop the production line, nor have there been too many major injuries. Just one or two a year, which I guess is a good ratio.
Both factories created things that anyone confronts in their daily life (though if not motorbikes regularly, we can imagine cars in their place on the assembly line) and it must be very amusing for the employees to see how awe-struck people are at seeing the construction of their daily items. Hopefully I will put more value in my things after reflecting how much work it takes just to make a shirt or the motorbike that gets me from here to there. I guess that there is a second point to these weekend trips besides the educational aspects, which is to foster a sense of place concerning the creating of our things, namely consumer, in order to better appreciate how they came to be in our possession. First rice, and now clothes and motorbikes. Thanks Gerard, EAP, and HANU for getting the permission to get us into these places.

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Tolerance and Acceptance

This past week at Thanh Xuan Mai and I changed our Tuesday shift to the mornings so that we could be going at the same time as Irene and Peter. I was surprised at how easily we changed times, with almost no comment from the teachers we work with or management, who I believe has really no idea when we're ever there.
So Monday was a relatively normal day. We arrived, helped the kids practice their letters, and sang Little Bumble Bee as usual. Then we went outside to play in the yard and, as usual, Hien and Yen chased Peter around the yard wanting attention. I feel the kids seek our attention to break the monotony of their lives at Thanh Xuan. Many of them do not leave the Village very often and seem to crave outside people, things, and activities. They seem to have accepted their lives here and know what to expect, and just want a little spice in their lives, which I guess we are providing since it seem they love having us here.
Then Tuesday Mai and I spent most of the kids class time reading stories in English, then translated into Vietnamese, which lost some of the kids attention during the process. We also taught our kids the macarena, after the great response that Irene and Peter's kids gave them for their great idea. Basically I feel that we can pretty much teach anything that we want in our classroom as long as we are occupying time. I am really surprised at how tolerant the teachers are of our ideas, though it is a little odd as they seem unenthuthiastic, or jaded rather, about teaching a lot of the time.
On Saturday we returned to Thanh Xuan for the birthday celebration of one of Irene and Peter's students, which was really fun! We thought we would have trouble getting into the Village because the gates were locked when we approached. Luckily, however the guards recognized us right away and hurried to open the gates. Another student was hanging out with them and looked really happy that we had come! The party itself was just a few people but we ate snacks and played singing hot potato and laughed a rediculous amount. Then a cake fight ensued when Irene "caked" the birthday girl and everyone went wild. It felt really good to have such an intimate gathering at the village and to have the students so happy to see us there. I am really feeling like there is a place for us there, maybe not in the organization exactly, but in the hearts of our students.

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Exclusion & Inclusion

Thanh Xuan is a place for those who would normally be excluded from most areas of society and many opportunities.  Disabled children and adults are placed together where the ridicule is reduced and people of many ages are placed in the same classrooms according to their adaptation and skill level.  In this way there is a certain level of inclusion for everyone who can afford to send their kids to Thanh Xuan and have them be in a more comfortable environment than in the real world where discrimination and ridicule often affronts people with disabilities, seemingly especially in Vietnam.  The surrounding walls hopefully provide some sort of solace and a more understanding and prepared environment for disabled learners than normal schools, which I believe is true of special learning schools globally.

This particular school, or village, also has its fair share of exclusion.  The children and adult learners still act as normal school children do, so there is still some degree of bullying and teasing.  There are a few children who are still smaller or more nervous than others who get picked on, but this is something I have seen in many different schools and at all ages.  However, I have seen more people of different ages and abilities here place arms around each other or help each other down the stairs or direct each other than in any other school setting I’ve been in.  Maybe its that these kids know each other’s pain more and want to somewhat relieve the frustration or just help their friends.  Many of these kids live together so there must be a special bond that develops that causes a mutual desire for a better life.  Of course, not all of these kids seem to want to make life easier (Det) but maybe that’s just to put a little life into a well-known routine.

1.000 năm Thăng Long - Hà Nội

This past week was the long-awaited celebration of Hanoi's 1000-year anniversary. There had been much anticipation for the festivities as well by the people as well as the government. I had heard that the city limits of Hanoi had been expanded to increase the population size, as well as many construction projects hurried or completed in time for the celebration so that the city could look its best for all the festivities. In the weeks before, one could see the lights and decorations slowly accumulating around Ho Hoan Kiem, which really started fostering feelings of excitement and beauty.
I was highly anticipating the activities, performances, and the heightened sense of community and nationalism. I thought this would be a great demonstration of Vietnamese pride from all kinds of people, and judging by the crowds there were many people who also wanted to see and participate in such a momentous occasion.
However, once the week started all I could see were crowds and crowds of people! Every time there would be a performance there would be so many people attempting to watch that all one could see were the heads in front of them, behind, and for 360 degrees all around.
My favorite moments of the week were during the greatest military parade in Vietnamese history, which lasted about 40 minuets. Good to know that not all countries have a grossly sized military that would take days to parade through the streets. And then I liked the fireworks and light shows at the beginning and end of Thăng Long. What I saw did not look like $5million worth of celebration, so I do wonder where the rest of that money might have gone...

The lights!

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Organizational Structure

Over the past few weeks the structure of Hoa Bin Thanh Xuan has slowly been revealing itself. It seems the teachers change rooms every few weeks so as to tend to the needs of different students. When Mai and I first came to Thanh Xuan we had a different teacher who was then replaced by the one we currently work with, and recently she was replaced by a new teacer Co Hoa, the teacher in charge of our group of volunteers. The physical therapists who work with my colleagues have also been changed recently, replaced by new therapists who are much more receptive to their presence. Co Hoa has also been very receptive of us in her classroom, giving us an hour or so to take charge of the classroom.
This past week she immediately gave Mai instructions to start grammatical pronunciation with the children, as opposed to the other teacher who would always ask the younger and more local volunteers to teach for her. I felt kind of guilty and sad that I couldn’t help more, as I then felt useless in the classroom and I wanted to take some of the burden off of Mai. Though it is obvious why a non-Viet speaker would not be asked to teach Vietnamese, especially to a class who needs extra care in learning correct reading and pronunciation. Then during Mai’s lesson she prepared the children’s notebooks to begin writing the letters they were assigned, u and ư. This is much different than the structure provided by the previous teacher who did not have the children write after the verbal lesson, as she would then move on. I cannot speak for the kids but as someone who would like to see the kids learning even in the afternoon, as opposed to the previous teacher’s schedule, this is a lot more productive than story-telling or just sitting time as the kids obviously still are learning their reading and repeating skills.
The rest of the children’s day from 8am-1:59pm I am unsure of what the kids are doing, but I have heard that they rotate around according to a certain schedule which is pre-determined and set. This sounds like a good idea for the children to keep them constantly occupied and active, as opposed to the afternoon when I feel activities are a little less structured and laid-back. In a couple weeks Mai and I will also switch our Tuesday time to morning work and I will be able to more accurately reflect on the schedule then.
The organization itself seems set in its ways. I have seen a few volunteer groups come and go, with different ideas and activities, and though they change the pace and what the kids do during their stay, I haven’t seen any permanent change in the way the organization incorporates the new ideas of the volunteer groups. I have seen evidence of programs to increase the computer, art, and musical skills of the kids, but nothing exists of these programs today. Even the art programs they do now, if the kids don’t exactly follow the program (such as making a card) they are not corrected simply because they are doing something. And while I feel that it is good to keep the kids entertained and focused, if the activity at hand has a certain purpose, that should be upheld and enforced. This would probably be beneficial when these kids/people take their knowledge into the bigger world and deviation from a task is not tolerated. In addition, some change in program might also be helpful for the children to keep them more interested. Maybe we can give suggestions in the follow-up letter that Thay Thai would like us to write at the end of the semester.

Do as the People Do

  As the great Son Chau states almost constantly, today we as a class gained some real insight on what it is like to be part of the people of Vietnam…if only for two hours.  This past Sunday UCHANU 2010 went out to harvest a rice field.  We woke up with the sun and slogged barefoot through the mud in order to harvest the staple food for a good portion of the world, if not Vietnam. 

The field we were harvesting was already partially harvested because of the recent rain and wind, which had blown over many of the rice stalks; so, probably to avoid waste, the family whose field we were mangling had already begun the process for us.  The field was owned by the Party Secretary of the village we were visited whose name was Anh Coui, a very kind man who tried to help us as much as he could during the harvesting process short of cutting the rice and carrying it for us himself.  His daughter was also out in the field helping us collect and cut the rice as well.  She put us all to shame with the uniformity and skills of her cuts, and then with the speed that she could slog through the mud with 10 pounds of rice stalks in her embrace.

Hypothetically, the process was very simple: cut the stalks, pile them up, carry the stalks to the thresher, then thresh.  From there one would then dry the rice and then toss it to rid it of its husks, but we were not involved in that part of the process.  A problem I encountered was trying to cut the rice high enough that those collecting wouldn’t have to carry so much excess, useless weight.  I felt that if I went too high I couldn’t grab as much and would lose rice.  However, I really enjoyed carrying the rice out of the fields and to the grand pile of stalks waiting for the thresher.  Feeling the weight of all my friends’ hard work on my shoulders was wonderful, and I am so proud of how much we managed to get out of that field.  It was rumored that that field generates about 12 bags of rice when harvested by Anh Coui’s family, aka the professionals, but we still managed to get 7 bags filled in only two hours of work.  Not too shabby!

Also, as I lifted piles of rice over my head through the fields I felt a real connection with this type of work.  Though I have nothing really connecting myself to rice fields now (besides the fact that I eat a lot of rice), this is what my family used to do back in the Philippines and what some of my family who still live there currently do.  Now many of the sons and daughters have moved away, my grandfather and grandmother included, but that is what my family did for generations and actually what my grandpa wanted to discontinue my mother and aunts and uncle from doing, but here I am feeling connected back with my roots.

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Public, Private and Physical Space

This week at Thanh Xuan was really a different experience in a really great way.  There were two new volunteer teachers who was temporarily there for two weeks, and they had all sorts of activities planned for the kids. It was really nice to see the kids actually doing something and not just sitting at their desks for 3 hours, and the activities all seemed pretty appropriate for the kids though there was a slight language barrier as one was Australian and the other Japanese and did not know any Vietnamese, perhaps even less than myself.  The kids seemed to really like her, however, especially when she sang.  Their new favorite song is Little Baby Bumblebee which is really adorable when they sing it as none know the words but they all have the motions down pat. The only problem I had with the new teachers was when I was discussing our purposes at Thanh Xuan  Peace Village with the Australian teacher, she seemed more interested in padding her resume with international teaching, than really anything else.  Her enthusiasm was very high, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't believe that she would state that as her main purpose for being at Thanh Xuan. I didn't really get to converse much with the Japanese teacher though, so I didn't get her opinion on the matter.
What I was really surprised about, however, was how easily the classroom space was relinquished to these new teachers. On Monday the teacher was nowhere in sight the entire time we were doing our service.  All these new teachers had to do was walk in with a curriculum and the space was given to them right away, which means that as soon as Mai and I come up with a viable curriculum we will be able to have the whole floor. It is also interesting how in the physical therapy room, once a certain time is reached Peter and Irene are basically allowed to entertain the kids how they would like, and the space is basically theirs. How kid time is structured is really confusing to me, as there seems to be no real structure, but maybe that's just because I come in the afternoons when the real learning time is over.
In terms of physical space, the most of the village seems very communal and not by choice. The living quarters are right next to classrooms and bathrooms shared by everyone have no doors to separate stalls or toilets from showers. The bedrooms are large and have quite a few beds per room, and I am unsure of where most of the kids private belongings would go as there is nothing else in the bedrooms besides beds. I wonder if this would have any effect on how secretive the kids are in order to simply get a moment alone. There are also locks on many of the bathrooms in the village, ones that are further away from the classrooms where supervision is harder, which is an interesting concept. I don't understand this decision at all as these kids are capable of and trusted to sit at a desk and learn all day yet are not allowed to go to the bathroom, while downstairs the bathrooms by the special education classroom and unlocked and available. Hopefully the bathrooms here were just broken temporarily and are now openly available.
The open area is quite large and has a few play structures, which look a little antiquated and some broken. Last week I noticed that here, on the platform of a slide structure, there were two kids who were sharing a moment hugging and talking as I presume this was as private of an area as they could find. Interesting because this was actually open and public space, but no one came across them (except I guess myself) or intruded on their private moment. I'm sure if this same scenario had occurred inside, someone surely would have come across them and said something, so the very obvious publicity of the outside was actually being used to disguise a more private moment.

Central Vietnam Reflection

Our EAP field trip to Central Vietnam was an absolutely amazing experience.  I went to places I had never dreamed of going and had wonderful experiences I hope to never forget.  One of the most pivotal points however occurred during the side trip that a group of us took to the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) and surrounding, relative areas.  On this trip we went to a former US military base and airport called Khe Sanh.  Here occurred many epic battles before it was finally destroyed. 

A more inspiring entry (sorry it is sideways)

During our visit to the small museum they had on site I decided to look at the comment book that had been left for visitors to sign.  There the fight that ended thirty years ago still continues in an epic battle that involves people from all over the world.  Many of the comments I couldn’t read for they were written in foreign languages, but many I could and a vast majority of those were extremely opinionated and, I felt, extremely offensive to both the Northern/all Vietnamese and US troops and peoples.  Some notable ones I can still remember include a comment from a former US military officer who stated that he had seen his brothers die at Khe Sanh and that they had in fact really won the battle there, which I feel would be very insulting to the Vietnamese forces who really did defeat the intruding American forces.  And yet another was written by a citizen from a country who I cannot remember at the moment but was not involved in the conflict that stated, “All Americans speak with a forked tongue, do not trust them.”  Personally I was extremely hurt by this comment and though I know a rather negative perception of Americans precede us, it was still extremely upsetting to read.  But there were some very inspiring entries and it felt good that even those who were directly involved in the conflict could speak about it in more understanding and/or calm manner than most.

This experience really made me feel more conscious about the outward image that I portray, because as people have said, wherever I go outside of my country I am basically an American ambassador and representative.  Hopefully the person who wrote that comment has met anomalies to their perception to make them realize how wrong it would be to generalize about a group of people like that, especially a couple generations after the Vietnamese War conflict. 

It was also very jarring when I stepped outside of the museum to find a man selling found American dog tags and Southern Vietnamese war medals.  I am not positive of their authenticity but the fact that they were all being sold as souvenirs was also very painful and I hope to whatever higher power that they are fakes. 

But I don’t want it to sound like this one day overshadowed the rest of the trip because there is absolutely nothing that could do that.  I mean, I visited a 12-story Quan Am in the most beautiful temple complex that has probably ever existed.  We were able to spend the night and celebrate in a Bahnar village, where the people were so kind and accommodating, even when tragedy struck their community.  I think our EAP group was able to connect in new ways and learn to deal with each other in the most fabulous way after having to basically live together 24/7 for 10 straight days.  This was definitely a trip I will never be able to forget.

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Ethics

This past week at Thanh Xuan was a tumultuous one. On Monday it was raining so the time usually spent outdoors was spent inside, and emotions were running high. A girl Yen, who usually is very friendly and firey, was upset with our whole group, saying that we didn’t play with her enough so she spent most of the day saying she hated people. Another boy Tho was trying to amuse us and himself which ended up angering another girl Hien, to the point where she was ready for a physical confrontation. The situation had to be diffused by us, but mostly was Peter’s doing as he captured the girl’s hearts (literally) by saying that he loved them whenever any negative feelings were thrown his way.
All this was compounded by the fact that Mai and I received another lecture from our teacher, this time about how the Vietnamese grandparents in the states killed many of the Vietnamese grandparents here in Vietnam, and again talking about how upon their return to Vietnam they’re bringing in the bad influence of foreigners. And again, despite how this teacher can say such revolting and hurtful comments to those trying to help her (saying that we’re only trying to pay reparations for what out country did to Vietnam in the past) she is very, very good to the children. I still feel guilty for leaving the other class we had previously helped, where many of the children couldn’t speak or were not understandable and where the teacher spent most of her time on the phone or reading the newspaper. That decision is not in line with my usual ethic standing where I would stay where I was placed and try to help the children that I was assigned to, and not move to somewhere where I would feel more comfortable. I feel as if I abandoned those children, and though I still see some of them after classes get out, I can tell some of them are starting not to recognize me anymore.
When I began working at Thanh Xuan I heavily questioned their ethics, especially when it seems that they do not want our actual physical help, or when children would be given water from a bucket in a corner. But as I got to know the organization more, and began to develop my relationships with the people there I feel more welcomed physically into the space, though I still question the difficulty of getting water (because it is constantly being asked for). I understand that the large water bottles were probably messed with, effectively wasting more water than helping, but a bucket in the corner that the kids stick their dirty hands in does not feel like a viable solution to me, especially when this is water for children that have the most difficulty communicating. If anything there should at least be a class water break time where they can all go get water at the same supervised time, minimizing waste and ensuring that the kids do not get dehydrated on very hot days.

Homesickness

Lately I have really been trying to think about why I am here in Vietnam. I thought that I knew what I was here for, but events that have occurred since my arrival have made me begin questioning, though not doubting, myself and my purpose. Somehow I am feeling like my presence here is less and less valid, and I’m starting to feel like more of a foreigner. I can’t understand or communicate the way I want to with most people so its making it hard to develop the kinds of connections I was hoping I’d be able to make. I am tired of feeling like a foreign tourist and being treated like one, but I cannot think of a way out of it. I’m trying to get more connected to the community by volunteering, and I think I’m starting to get close to some of the kids, but the teacher we work with has managed to make me feel welcome in the classroom but very very unwelcome in the organization and in Vietnam in general. And the visible poverty here is just crazy. My father, who has been traveling for work for years, warned me about how the poverty in “developing” countries can be so intensely shocking and it has been, wit the feelings growing greater every day. I know that this should make me feel more grateful for what I have, but instead I have just been feeling increasingly guilty for the sometimes petty things I worry about at home. And even the things I worry about that are not-so-petty like how to find work, get money and eat, and what will happen with my family seem to pale in comparison to the problems that people who live under the poverty line face daily. I’m walking around Hanoi thinking, “wow this is a wonderful city, what shall I do next?”, while I’m passing many people who are wondering what they can do to sustain their families. I’ve never really had to confront this side of humanity so blatantly before. I think one of Irene's friend's comments encompasses this feeling saying that in America we try to hide the bad and only show the beautiful, and that it is the opposite in Vietnam where the beautiful is kept hidden in private; and while this may not be applicable in every case, I feel this is generally true. While there are homeless and very poor people in America, this is a completely different story.
I came here thinking that this experience could expand my horizons and make me a more worldly person (which again makes me feel guilty for coming all the way here for such reasons), but the globalization class I am taking is constantly targeting my home culture. This makes me very angry and defensive, even though I know that some of it is true. Writing my midterm essay for that class made me realize that what people are angry about is the spread of American consumerism, which is heavily ingrained in American culture but is not all of it, so it is very difficult to be in a class where your culture is targeted daily. And its even more infuriating when this idea came from the very reader I was supplied with in order to write that paper, but I am still faced with direct confrontations from the TA.
And on a more sensitive note, I knew before I came here that all the Vietnamese-American students would probably have more of a personal connection with this trip and their experiences, which I am completely fine with, but I feel that some think less of people who are here for less emotional purposes. Even though I know many of them are struggling with their own experiences here as well. Hopefully this is just a passing whim, but occasionally I get feelings of…inferiority, which are just amplified by the fact that everything here is new to me and I can’t understand words/signs/jokes/mannerisms/etc.
As a result of all this I’ve started to feel a little homesick. Not exactly wanting to return home, but a want to feel more comfortable just living.

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Relationships

This week at Thanh Xuan Mai and I were actually able to do something more with the kids than sit in a room and play with blocks. We had a different teacher guiding the classroom, and though she was much more strict she was actually more involved with the kids. She told them a story, we sang songs (the English ones I had to lead), and Mai and I were even allowed to take a couple of the kids outside. She had a much better relationship (meaning one at all) then the previous teacher who was there all last week and this Monday. However, she did have a rather passive aggressive tirade basically against Mai and myself talking about Viet Kieu and how they are traitors and now are responsible for bringing the foreigners in which is extremely detrimental to Vietnamese society. It was really rather awkward, even to me and I did not understand 95% of what was said, though I could get the gist through occasional words and body language, so I can't even imagine how Mai must have felt. As horrible as that conversation was I really hope to keep a good relationship with this teacher because she actually kept the kids, and us, relatively entertained. She is also the only adult who I have been able to speak to, though that might be mostly for linguistic reasons.
As far as my relationship with my fellow volunteers has been going, I really enjoy the company of our EAP group at Thanh Xuan. I think we all really want to have a personal connection with these kids despite all the obstacles trying to prevent us from really making a place for ourselves at this organization. Even outside of Thanh Xuan we're getting really close and it's nice that we can bring that solidarity into our volunteering.

Week 4: Interviews and Reflections

This week we began the interview process for Project Kiem An and I was present for our first interview with a friend of Lena's sister Nhi who is a refrigerator manufacturing plant manager. It was a very interesting interview despite the rather uninteresting title of our interviewee. He deals with many different kinds of suppliers and has to meet deadlines, and is in charge of many people (some much older and with higher degrees of education) though he is only a year out of college.
I think the interview went really well, we managed to keep our interviewee relaxed (as he had met a few of us before) and talking most of the time. We actually had to consciously stop and tell him to eat his food occasionally because he would be constantly talking. I heard a few of the kinds of questions that one is not supposed to ask, including from myself, but it did not seem to mater in this situation. Maybe next time we should be more careful.
I'm sad I couldn't attend the second interview because of scheduling conflicts, but he is a friend of one of our group members and is an MC. Another newly developing career in Vietnam. I hope it went well!
But to reflect on my entire experience so far, it has been fabulous. I have been able to get out of my room and even out of Hanoi, two things I was afraid I would not be able to accomplish without the class/program. And even though my service learning project and HANU course are not exactly what I had thought they would be, I am equally as glad I am participating in those. I came to Vietnam in order to meet people whom I would never meet otherwise in my life and to see what I could learn from them, and vice versa. So far I have learned a LOT from the kids I work with at Thanh Xuan Peace Village, even though we can't really speak; and I have learned much from the few but always interesting questions that are asked in my Globalization class. But this is not to say that every day has been easy or even fun. I have had very difficult days where I actually have wished I was at home, but then I usually come home or talk to someone here about anything really, and I start to remember why I came to Hanoi and Vietnam. Some of these more confused occasions come when we go somewhere with a lot of cultural meaning to the Vietnamese students in our group, and they have a sort of connection that I can't have, or feel guilty for trying to look at. I feel awful about being a tourist sometimes, because that is basically what I am, and even worse about being a foreigner. One such occasion was our visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where I saw families and older women very dressed up, going to visit a very influential man/possibly idol in their lives, and here I am just looking. I like to think I have a personal connection as well because I have been waiting to do many of these things my whole life, but it is simply not the same and sometimes I feel guilty.
But before I get too wrapped up in the negative, I remind myself that I am here for a purpose and that is valid enough for me. I have had wonderful, life-changing experiences while here and cannot wait for tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that. I love Vietnam, with all its idiosyncrasies and people and twists and turns.

Thanh Xuan Peace Village - Communication

This past week was my first experience at Thanh Xuan Peace Village.  I love the children there but have not yet figured out my place there.  Communication is less of a problem than I thought mostly because many of the children don’t need very much Vietnamese to understand me and I have my fellow UC students to help me ask and respond to questions.  Communication with adults is more difficult, however, and I am worried that that will affect my effective-ness at the organization.

The Peace Village as an organization still seems unsure of our intent and have responded to our help in a very reserved fashion.  Upon our arrival we are put in one room with the children and are just told to play with them, rather than help the teacher or help with chores.  I assumed that we would be having a more active role at the Village than assembling block towers with kids for 3 straight hours, only to leave the room when class was dismissed.  It was quite obvious that even the kids were very very bored, but the teacher made no efforts to do anything, and I didn’t think it was my place to offer to teach her class for her, even if I could ask something similar.  I also found it odd that the teachers would just leave at the end of the day without telling us they were leaving or basically checking-in with us at all.

 We were told that the organization needs much help, but Peter and Irene informed me that when they tried to provide help washing dishes they were criticized and eventually pushed out of the wash line.  Mai and I were also asked, in a not altogether friendly manner, why we were there by a man who lived and worked there.  I was not too sure why we were meeting such barriers at Thanh Xuan, but Gerard gave me an new insight saying that they get many foreign volunteers who are only around for one day or are just not very dedicated in general, so they have come to expect less of us than what we are willing to provide.  I would really like to show them that we are dedicated and there for the kids, but we are only around for three more months so I don’t know if that will be long enough to make a dent in these kids lives.

But, as I stated earlier, the kids seem much more receptive to our presence.  When we arrived on Tuesday for our second day I was pleasantly surprised that many of the kids still remembered my name! And after only meeting me one time.  Very surprising from kids I was told would be unable to learn.  I love playing outside with the kids the most because there I can be more active and do more things than sit and pretend I can understand them.  There is also one little girl who wouldn’t speak for a very long time but after Mai chased her around and we kicked a ball together she opened up and would start talking.  That felt great and totally made the experience worth it. 

I know that I shouldn’t really make any judgments about Thanh Xuan Peace Village now as I have only been there twice.  I am hoping this next week will make me more confident in handling the kids and adults and we can all feel more comfortable in the space.

An exploration of space: New Urban Development - Nguyen Phong Sac

The project-reminiscent apartment buildings

This expedition set out to explore a non-traditional space in Hanoi, and that is exactly what it was. The neighborhood Team Cucumber explored was filled with very large and tall apartment buildings apparently filled with people who were displaced, probably by the building of the giant mega-cities around the periphery of Hanoi. My group members from Hanoi said that poorer to middle-class families live in these high-rises, though they greatly reminded me of the projects in New York where the poorest inner-city families live. However, these buildings looked newer and were apparently built in 2007. I wonder when the apartment tumors will start appearing on these buildings after more and more families start occupying each apartment. There were a fair number of cars in the apartment parking lots but we suspected that they belonged to the construction firm on the bottom floor of the building and not of the actual residents.
The area we walked around in was very deserted. Instead of the constant flow of people and businesses spilling out onto the sidewalk, we were able to easily fit 3 people in a row and walk uninhibited down the sidewalk. The only businesses that were inside-out (or even really there at all) were cafes. There was a bookstore there, which I was pleasantly surprised about, which had a sort-of library in it where a few academics were studying and doing research on Southeast Asia (I think). We visited in the afternoon so there might be more activity on the streets when people start coming home from work and school. I noticed restaurants had their chairs stacked up and would probably be set up closer to dinner time.
Though this was definitely not a traditional space the larger roads surrounding our area felt more Hanoian with more businesses and more people on the street. We had to find most of the food at a Minimart that was within walking distance, but there was not an open market or any fruit/vegetable vendors around. We were unable to find any knife sharpeners or show shiners and though people said they were around we did not encounter any. Instead we found an "adult store" that just sold a few brands of over-priced condoms, which means that birth control (at least from that shop) is basically unavailable for many of the people in the area. There were also trees around but they were all encased in cement so if you wanted to sit under one you either had to be very uncomfortable or pay for a seat.

Our group wandering Nguyen Phong Sac

I would not want to live in this section of Hanoi. It felt like a distorted version of American neighborhoods I have been in, and I wouldn't even have wanted to live there. The neighborhood for the most part felt nothing like the Hanoi I have experienced thus far. While walking around my group was lethargic and we felt unwelcome, as opposed to other sections of the city where you feel energized or stimulated when walking around simply from the life exuding from the people and streets around you. This neighborhood felt empty, life-less, and like a spot that should have been temporary but had lasted past its time. I'm not sure if that makes sense, especially since they are fairly recent buildings, but it looked so out of place and I wonder how the residents of the giant block apartments feel about their neighborhood. Too bad we did not see anyone on the street who wanted to talk to us, and we couldn't enter the apartment buildings to speak to anyone inside. I fear this is the future of Hanoi, especially as the Doughnut Effect begins to take hold around Hanoi, similar to Ho Chi Minh City.

Our map in progress

An exploration of space: Luong Dinh Cua and Hoang Tich Tri

Pho Hoang Tich Tri

The space around the intersection of Pho Luong Dinh Cua and Hoang Tich Tri is a hustle-and-bustle area, full of people and stores and constant motion.  Even during the hottest part of the day, on a very hot day, more people are moving and selling than sleeping and resting.  The sidewalks are covered in wares from the many stores that encircle the blocks.  Life is definitely lived inside-out here.  It looked like the specialties in the area were houseware items (like piping, bowls/plates, cleaning supplies, etc.) and cafés of which there would be numerous right next to each other.  And of course there was a market where fresh meats (live and pre-killed), fruits, and vegetables could be purchased.  The market section of the area was the only area starting to die down as the day progressed, with the meat sellers retiring in the early afternoon, hopefully because otherwise the meat would begin to go bad in the sun and heat.  Another form of industry that seemed successful in the area, because there were so many of these shops, were secondhand clothing and shoe stores. This is interesting in comparison to all the boutiques that lined the streets surrounding this neighborhood, but only these kinds existed in the area we explored.  Maybe this is an indicator that the people in the surrounding area do not have as much wealth as those in adjoining neighborhoods, but it could also symbolize that more locals do their shopping here instead of relying on the patronage of shoppers from outside the area.

Badminton courts!

The people were very friendly and willing to help us find our way around.  All of the places we were assigned were within walking distance, except for the hospital, which was about 1km away from the area. We assumed that this hospital could be reached by xe om, but after an ambulance passed by we realized that the nearest hospital was the French hospital were most of the people in the area would probably not visit in the case of illness because that hospital mainly caters to foreigners and richer folk.  The other option was Viet Duc Hospital which was relatively close by, but also must be reached by xe om.  

We also found that the shoe shiners and knife sharpeners were transitory occupations, so though we did not meet people with these jobs face-to-face, we were told that they are in the area and their services are available to the people who live there.

Elementary school

I felt very comfortable in the neighborhood and welcomed, even though I did notice people were watching us map the space and were curious about it.  However, no one was openly rude to us except a meat vendor who explicitly did not want us talking to her or taking her picture.  I plan to return to the area and explore further, sit under one of the many trees and probably visit some of the secondhand shops.  Places similar to those shops are where I do most of my buying in America, so it is a little comforting to see similar places here.  I would definitely live in this neighborhood. There is a cute elementary school for whatever children might be in my future and all the necessary amenities within walking distance.  And as mentioned before I felt safe and comfortable so I would not rule out the possibility of inhabitance.

Autobiography of Micaela Georgina Galedo Bacon

Berkeley and Beyond

I came to this world at 6:30am on December 27, 1988. My birthplace was Oakland, California the town adjacent to the town where I would spend my childhood, Berkeley. I grew up mostly alone, though I have two sisters. They are 9 years and 20 years older than I and named, respectfully, Yolanda and Miel Bacon. My parents are Lillian and David, and they have supported me throughout my life, trying to help me with all my ambitions (lately: making my way to Hanoi, Vietnam!). I am ethnically Filipina-American but was never too terribly connected with the Filipino community, though my mother was very involved working to help recent Filipino immigrants find a comfortable place in America. I used to blame my non-involvement on the fact that not many Filipinos live in Berkeley, but that’s not altogether true as many of my best friends are Filipina-American. I think that’s one reason I came to Southeast Asia, if not specifically Vietnam, to feel more connected to a culture that is not American and has roots and traditions much older than 250 years.
Throughout my pre-college life I was a gymnast and classical musician. I fell in love with gymnastics after the 1996 Olympics when the Dream Team won gold and inspired thousands of other little girls and boys to start their own gymnastics dreams. I loved the sport and when I was finally awarded a spot on my club’s team I would work-out all the optional days as well as the required ones. This did not necessarily mean I was good at gymnastics and in fact it took all that extra work to start scoring higher than 6.5/10. Eventually however my hard work paid off and I was able to make my way to Level 7 out of 10 before I quit in the middle of high school. I’ve always regretted quitting but it was necessary to continue with other parts of my life. Gymnastics can consume all of your time as well as much of your spirit if you let it, and it was time for me to let go. However, I am still active in the community and I still teach gymnastics to this very day. It is a passion I will always have, similar to music.
Since placing a clarinet in my hands at the age of 9, I have been in love with music (ALL kinds) and being able to play music is an amazing feeling. Even throughout college I tried to continue playing but unfortunately, at UC Santa Cruz you are only allowed to participate in music if you are a music major. This was a devastating discovery and even now, I am searching for a community band who will let me participate. Personally a life without music is not worth living, but thankfully music surrounds everyone and is everywhere, you just have to find it. As corny as that sounds I am a firm believer in it.
When the time to apply for college came around I was itching to get myself out of California and out of the optimistic bubble that Berkeley creates around its citizens. My first escape was to Seattle, Washington where I attended the University of Washington, Seattle for my freshmen year of college. This was an unbelievable experience where I met so many people who helped me find my true self and shape myself into the person I am now. I would still move back after college and spend the rest of my life there.
It was during my stay in Seattle that I found another calling in my life: politics! During younger years I would stay as far away from politics as I could since my parents were so active in it, and Berkeley politics (unapologeticaly liberal and loud about it) were constantly being showed down my throat. But my first political science class was like my first breath of cool, fresh air. I had found my calling in studying other cultures, as well as my own, and figuring out how they worked. Politics encompasses many subjects in one and is constantly changing so my attention is constantly being engaged.

My besties and I, kicking ass as usual

This is part of why I came here to Vietnam. I want to immerse myself in another culture that is very different than my own and see how it functions. Vietnam also has a very strong and proud history that I want to learn as much about as I can. Though I didn’t know it when I applied, we are here in Hanoi at a pivotal point in time! The 65th Party Plenum announcing the next 5-year plan for 2010-2015 is this year, as well as the celebration of Hanoi’s 1000-year anniversary. This was the best time for me to come here, and I feel as if fate brought me to this amazing city and country. In the next 4 months I hope to learn as much Vietnamese as possible and meet as many Vietnamese as possible. I want to be able to get myself from one side of this giant, bustling city to the other without getting lost or at least anxious on the way. I also want to make connections so that when I come back there are familiar faces to see and people with which I can enjoy a cup of café no da.

Gig: Response

Telemarketing Supervisor

Jason Groth is a telemarketing supervisor, meaning he hires and supervises a group of telemarketers who sell products for various companies.  His job is to keep people inspired and prepare them for the ugly responses that are awaiting them on the receiving side of the call. 

This article interested me because I was once a sort of telemarketer during my freshman year in college; but instead of calling on the behalf of a company or product I was calling on behalf of school departments who were soliciting donations from alumni to help support scholarship programs.  And despite the more noble cause, people were still as rude to my co-workers and I as they would be to someone selling magazine scholarships.  It was a job I sincerely hated, simply because I would leave work feeling rejected and downtrodden after everyone’s rude comments.  Occasionally, I would get an alumni who would let me get through my script then calmly tell me that they did not desire to participate, respecting the fact that I was calling because it was my job to.

Upon reflection, this experience was a reminder to not confuse people with their work.  The meter maid who gives parking tickets is just doing her job, as is the cook who makes our food.  Sometimes I feel it is easy to assume that people are in a certain field because they enjoy their work or like having power over others, which could very well be true, but from my experience most people do what they do because they get paid for it and it helps them live a certain lifestyle.  This is not a crime or a justification for bad treatment, which is something I often forget myself.  However, I do feel there are certain ways people can abuse their positions or become corrupt, and then it is appropriate to dislike them.  Abuse of power might be especially tempting in positions where one IS treated horribly by co-workers, bosses, or the people one is serving.  Maybe we can all help reduce the amount of corruption and negativity by treating everyone and their work more respectfully, but maybe that’s just a little too idealistic for the world today.